Safety and security management practices in Abuja Nigeria construction sites

Construction sites in developing economies face a compounded risk environment in which occupational safety hazards intersect with persistent security threats; yet these two domains have rarely been examined in an integrated empirical framework. This study investigates the safety-security management nexus across six residential estate developments in Abuja, Nigeria a rapidly urbanizing capital city characterized by ambitious infrastructure programmes, variable regulatory enforcement, and elevated security risks. Employing a cross-sectional survey design, structured questionnaires were administered to 100 construction professionals through stratified random sampling and analyzed using the Relative Importance Index (RII), Frequency Index (FI), Severity Index (SI), and Importance Index (IMPI). Findings reveal that safety-security management deficiencies are associated with substantial project delays (18.4%) and cost overruns (12.4%). Timely payment of outsourced staff, physical security enhancement, and systematic estate management emerged as the highest-ranked managerial priorities. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.72, p < 0.01) between safety and security management quality scores provides empirical evidence consistent with the hypothesis that these domains share common organizational determinants rather than operating independently. Grounded in Safety Culture Theory and Systems Theory, this study proposes the first integrated safety-security management framework empirically validated for Nigerian construction, with adaptations for resource-constrained, weakly regulated environments. Findings offer evidence-based guidance for construction managers, regulatory bodies, and policymakers in Sub-Saharan Africa and comparable emerging economies.